Too Little, Too Late
by Lilly Harris
Summary: What if Maura and Jane had been found in the woods too late? And not by the people they expected to find them... Based loosely on the "Dirty Little Secret" episode.


I do not own Rizzoli and Isles, any of the characters associated, or the works of William Shakespeare, which have been quoted.

"c'mon Maur….stay with me…" Jane mumbled down to the honey-blonde, who was slipping in and out of consciousness, her words, when spoken, no more than delirious incoherent ramblings. She gently brushed a stray hair out of Maura's face, tucking it behind her ear.

This was certainly not the manner in which Jane Rizzoli had envisioned her day ending. The start of it had been challenging enough, with the constant childish and surly bickering between her and Maura during the entire car ride here. Now, she was lying in the middle of a wood, cradling her best friend and praying endlessly to a god that she didn't believe in, pleading that Maura's life would be spared.

She glanced at Maura's leg, checking that her wound was no longer still bleeding as heavily. Sure enough, Jane's t-shirt, which had become a makeshift bandage, had no more blood stains than it did 40 minutes ago.

She breathed a sigh of relief, and relaxed, just slightly.

Maura began to squirm in her lap, and her eyes opened a little, although her expression was glazed. "…Jane?…why are…what…."she glanced down at her leg. "….Jane, my leg, my leg, it's….. "Maura struggled to put her thoughts into words. Jane bent down, and stroked her hair.

"Shh….you're ok Maur. Your leg has been hurt pretty bad, we need to get you outa here….do you feel up to walking?" Maura shook her head weakly. "You….you should go Jane….not safe, they want to kill us Jane, those men, they want to…" Maura was beginning to panic as her memory came back, she started to sit up, but Jane grabbed her shoulders and eased her back down, firmly, but gently.

" s'ok, I know. I know about the men Maura." Jane reaffirmed. Nodding, soothed by Jane's confident demeanour, Maura was trying desperately to stay awake, to talk to Jane and make sense of what was going on around her, but….her eyelids simply felt too heavy, and she left Jane once again.

The brunette let out a silent sob when she saw Maura had closed her eyes. All her life, Jane Rizzoli had lived by the philosophy that nobody else can solve your problems for you, and it was up to you to make the most of whatever situation you were presented with. But at that moment in time, and possibly for the first time, Jane Clementine Rizzoli _needed_ someone, and that someone was lying in her lap with a bleeding leg, being pursued by bad guys, once again. She blinked furiously, in an attempt to keep the dam of tears from cascading down her face.

"Maur…." Jane started, shakily. Whether Maura could hear this or not, Jane had things she had to say to her. "Maura…I….I'm sorry. I'm sorry about Paddy. I'm sorry about being a bitch over the past few weeks, and I'm sorry for always teasing you about your Google-mouth." the brunette paused, tears rolling freely down her face, wiping them from her cheeks with the ball of her hand.

"The truth is Maura Isles….I don't know what I would do without you and your random facts." She chuckled to herself. "…Or your smart-alekness, or…..you. Just you." Jane was so tired at this point, that she bent down, resting her forehead on Maura's. "….and d'you know what?" Jane whispered into Maura's ear "…I think I'm in love with you, Doctor Isles, Google mouth, high heels, turtle and all." She kissed the doctor on the crown of her head, and stroked her hair, her hands shaking a little.

Maura's eyelids fluttered then, she muttered faintly: "Jane…." The detective started violently, sitting up and running a hand through her dark messy hair. For once, she didn't know what to say. Had Maura heard everything? Would she be upset? "Oh God…" she mumbled, cursing herself internally.

Maura didn't know if it was delirium, tiredness, common sense or a combination of all three speaking to her, but she felt that words would not be able to convey her thoughts adequately. Instead, she reached out for one of Jane's hands, and she carefully brought it down to her chest, right above her heart. Jane was looking down at her tearfully, and Maura smiled back weakly. The blonde stroked her thumb over Jane's scarred hand, and finally, brought it up to her lips, kissing it chastely. "Love you….." Maura said, quietly. Jane let out a half-sob, half laugh, and held Maura's hand between the two of hers. "And I you…" Jane replied softly, as Maura drifted away once more.

The detective slept for a brief period, her hand resting on Maura's collarbone. When she woke, she shook Maura's shoulder gently. There was someone moving towards them; Jane could hear leaves rustling and twigs cracking under someone's boots.

They needed to move.

When Maura didn't respond, Jane sat up straighter, and tried shaking her again, but more roughly this time. Jane began to panic when she still refused to respond, and started to mutter "Maura, c'mon….MAURA!" still no movement. "…..Maura, you're scaring me!" She pressed her fingers against the M.E's neck, waiting to feel a pulse under her fingertips.

It never came.

The detective looked down in shock. This couldn't be happening. No way, to other people, to the _victims _they worked with every day, but nobody died under Jane Rizzoli's watch. Especially not her best friend.

She interlocked her fingers and pressed them over Maura's chest, ignoring the fact that the M.E's body was as cold as the bodies she worked on. Jane wasn't even sure if the procedure was medically appropriate for the situation, but never-the-less, she pressed on Maura's chest, hoping that this would some how re-vitalise her.

Jane let out a feral scream, and lifted Maura into her arms, cupping her face with one hand, the pad of her thumb stroking her cold cheek. "Maur….Maur…..oh god maur…." Jane sobbed, her heart and soul breaking into smaller and smaller pieces each time she said her name. Where were those men who had shot at her? Where were they now, when she didn't care if she lived or died? The quicker they came, the better Jane thought to herself.

When Korsak finally arrived, he saw Jane with Maura still in her lap. She had raised her gun at him, and was crouching over Maura's body protectively, one arm draped across her stomach, and her eyes wild with grief.

"Woah….Jane, it's just me…..it's just me, put the gun down!"

Jane stared at the weapon in her hand, in what seemed to be disbelief, and dropped it abruptly. Korsak walked over to her slowly, and pulled her up. Jane collapsed into his arms in the same way she had following Hoyt's death, put this time, more alarmingly, no cries came from Jane's lips. She just lay there, slumped, and breathing slowly.

He glanced down at Maura's body, and watching Jane all the while, shrugged off his jacket and placed it carefully over Maura's head. He was struggling to remain composed himself, and Jane was shaking like a leaf. He took out his phone, and rang Frost. "Hey Frost, you need to get down here right away….no….look, I'll explain when you get here. Bring Dr. Pike."

He almost swore that in that moment, he could hear Jane's heart breaking.

"_Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,_

_And flights of angles sing thee to thy rest."_

"_The rest is silence."_

_Hamlet-William Shakespeare._


End file.
